Volume 7 - History of Anaesthesia Society

much less relaxant was required and most patients were returned to
intensive care extubated and breathing spontaneously. I have not
mentioned heparin or protarnine but, of course, these are required in all
bypass cases.
So far, 1 have not dealt with mechanical ventilators. In 1952 a severe
outbreak oE bulbar-poliomyelitis occurred in Denrnark necessitating the
ventilation of many patients for periods up Lo 6 weeks. A t that tine
the only ventilator available war the 'Tron Lung' of which there were
only a few in fever hospitals. The majority of the patients in the
Uerunark epidemic were ventilated by hand, by relatives, friends or
anyone who was avdiLable. The then Ministry of Health in this country
becane anxious abut a possible outbreak here in 1953, and called a
~neeting to discuss ventletory equlpnent which I was asked to attend.
At that meeting, Beaver, an anaesthetist at Queen's Square, showed the
small, easily produced ventilator (costing E40) which he had designed.
Ehgstrom in Sweden had manufactured a very cmplicated machine at a cost
of f2,500. From this edrly ver~tilator of ~eaver' S the sophisticated
equipnent of today has been develuped. I, myself, had no faith in the
reliability of things mechanical and ventilated every patient by hand
during the 31 years in which I was involved with cardiac surgery and
endeavoured in the majority of cases to return them to the intensive
care unit extubated and breathing spontaneously.
Cutler EC, Beck CS. Present status of the surgical procedures in
chronic valvular disease of the heart. Archives of Surgery
1929; 18:403.
Campbell M. Tne early operations for mitral stenosis. British
Heart Journal 1365; 27:670.
Ellis RH. The first trans-auricular mitral valvotomy.
Anaesthesia 1975; 33:374.
Ship~sy FE. The advantage oE warmed anaesthetic vapours and
an apparatus fur their administration. Lancet 1916; 1:70.
Nosworthy M). Anaesthesia in chest surgery with special reference
to controlled respiration and cyclopropane. Proceedings oE the
Royal Society of Yedicine 1941; 34:479.
Cuedel M, Waters LW. New intratracheal catheter. Anesthesia
and Analgesia (Current Researches) 1928; 7: 238.
Gray TC, Halton J. A milestone in anaesthesia? (d-tubocurarine
chloride). Proceedings oE the Royal Society of Medicine 1946;
39:400.
Blalock A, Taussig 133. Surgical treatment of malfomtion of
heart in rrhich there is ~ulrnonarv stenosis or oulmonarv atresia.
Journal of the American hedical Association l9&5; 128:i89.
Rink EH. Aelliwell PJ. Hutton AM. Anaesthesia Eor oaerations for
the relief of congenital pulmonary stenosis. G U ~ Hospital
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Reports 1948; 97:48.
Baker C, Brock RC, Campbell M. Valcrulotomy Eor mitral stenosis;
report of G successful cases. Brit.ish Medical Journal 1950;
1:1283.